Wire-fence-stay attacher and spacer.



Patented Dec. 5, I899. G. W. WILLIAMS. I WIRE FENCE STAY ATTAGHEB AND SPACER.

(Application filed Jan. 12, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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Units *rarns GEORGE w. WILLIAMS, or HUMANsviLLE, MISSOURI.

WlRE FENCE-STAY ATTACHER AND SPACER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,371, dated December 5, 1899.

Application filed January 1 2, 1 8 9 9.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Humansville, in the county of Polk and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in WVire-Fence-Stay Formers and Spacers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of fences, and particularly to a fence-stay former and spacer adapted to facilitate the application of stays to the runners of a wire fence; and the object in view is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device provided with means for plumbing and spacing the stays and for holding them in operative position with relation to the runners and resisting any tendency to distortthe same during the engagement of the stays with the runners.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of a portion of a wire fence to which is applied in the operative position a stay former and spacer constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the stay former and spacer. Fig. 3 is a view of a stay former and spacer having a slightly-modified construction of forms.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In the construction of a wire fence it is usual to extend the runners between the uprights or posts, and subsequently apply the stays to maintain the runners at the desired intervals, said stays being engaged with the runners suitably to prevent accidental displacement or distortion of the structure after completion. The stay former and spacer forming the subject-matter of my invention is designed particularly to facilitate the application to the runners of stays consisting of a wire or wires bent into an ornamental form, said stays, for instance, being of the plural strand or hair-pin type and having the sides or members separated at intervals to cated in Fig. 3.

Serial No. 701,932. (No model.)

obtain extended or spaced points of bearing upon the runners. In the construction illustrated the stay former and spacer embodying my invention is adapted for applying to the runners l the stays 2, which are provided in the planes, respectively, of the runners with laterally-spread sides or arms forming diamonds 3 or analogous figures, said stays havinglateral loops or ears 4 for engagement with the runners at spaced points, said loops or ears being arranged at the side angles of-the diamond or other figures, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. In order that theseloops or ears may be twisted orcoiled around the runners to effec tually attach the stay thereto without contracting or otherwise distorting the stay, l have devised the stay former and spacer illustrated in the drawings and consisting of a bar 5, provided at intervals corresponding with those between the runners with forms 6. These forms correspond in external configuration with the internal configuration of the stay, which is to be applied by means of the former and spacer. Thus in the drawings the forms 6 are externally of diamond shape tofit in the diamond-shaped portions of the stay, and these forms may consist either of pins 6, as illustrated in Fig. 1, or of blocks 6, as indi- Each form is provided with a transverse runner-seat 7, and when the stay former and spacer is applied to the fence the runners are fitted, respectively, in these seats to pass transversely through the forms, the stay which is to be applied having first been fitted to the improved device to posit-ion the forms, respectively, in the openings or spaced portions of the stay. The construction of the former and spacer is such that when the stays are fitted in the seats provided for their reception the runners are located in operative relation with the attaching loops or ears of the stay, and hence while the stay is maintained in its proper shape by the former and spacer said loops or ears may be coiled around. the runners at opposite sides thereof to insure the desired attachment. Subsequently the former and spacer may be withdrawn and employed in the application of the succeeding stays. Attached to the back of the bar from the body portion of the improved device is a plumb, consisting of a cord 8, terminating at its lower end in a plumb-bob 9, said cord or flexible connection extending through a guide or keeper 10, and removably attached to the side of the bar is a spacing-pin 11. Preferably the bar or body portion of the former and spacer is provided at opposite sides with sockets 12, and the spacing-pin is provided with a reduced terminal 13, adapted for engagement with either of said sockets to suit the direction of progression of the workman in building the fence. It will be understood that after attaching a stay the former and spacer is disengaged therefrom and is again applied to the fence-runners, with the extremities of the spacing-pin in contact with the last-applied stay, whereby a uniformity of intervals between the stays may be obtained.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A wire-fence-stay former and spacer, having a body portion provided with projecting forms arranged in vertical alinement and at predetermined intervals apart, said forms corresponding in external configuration to the internal configuration of portions of a stay to be applied to the runners of a wire fencev and said forms having runner-engaging seats having a direction transverse of the said body portion and in planes to receive ing a bar provided with projecting stay-engaging devices formed with transverse runner-engaging seats, said bar also being provided in its lateral edges with sockets, a spac ing-pin removably fitted in one of said sockets, and means on the rear of the bar for as certaining a perpendicular position.

4. A stay former and spacer having a bar provided with projecting stay-engaging forms provided with transverse runner-engaging seats, said bar also being provided in its lateral edges with sockets, and a spacing-pin removably fitted in one of said sockets, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

J. F. HULL, W. M. MITCHELL. 

